Highlands Ranch High School - Mr. Sedivy
Highlands Ranch, Colorado

- The Middle Ages -
Black Death, The Black Plague

The Black Death
What if you came to class tomorrow and five people were missing? No big deal. The next day ten are out; the next day 20. Then you hear that some of them are dying - now what do you think?

The Black Death killed 25 million people throughout Europe. The Black Death was carried by fleas on rats. Yersinius pestis is the bacteria that causes the plague. Some places tried to take over others by catapulting infected corpses into their town (early germ-warfare).

In India, in 1994, when the Plague broke out and people were dying, the people wouldn't kill the rats because rats are sacred. The Plague can also be carried by prairie dogs. Areas of the south western United States, where there are fast growing suburban areas, are especially at risk. Do you still think the prairie dogs in Highlands Ranch are so cute?

Symptoms of Plague Ring around the boil / cyst Fever and sweating Vomiting blood, blood in urine Bloody boils Death

There are two types of plague. One type infects the bloodstream, causing the bubos and internal bleeding, and was spread by contact. The pneumonic type infects the lungs and is spread by respiratory infection.

How the Plague Spread to Europe
The Black Plague came to Europe on trading ships from the East. People thought that this was "the end of the world" because there had been several calamities at the time: droughts, earthquakes, etc. In Revelations (in the Bible) it says that God would send disasters and a sickness that would wipe out the earth.

Effects of the Plague

The population decreased by one-half.

There was less trade.

The people experienced flashbacks of earlier times.

There was a decrease in tolerance.

Peasants felt more equal since rich people were dying, too.

A feeling of helplessness, and loss of control.

Agriculture declined.

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